Change
by Shimmerleaf
Summary: Bo's feelings toward Luna have changed during the past few seasons and he wants their friendship to change along with it, leading to him coming up with a plan. Unfortunately for him, winter isn't the kindest of seasons. Secret Santa gift!
1. Thanksgiving

A/N: Merry Christmas, _Lollipopdiego_! I hope you like your gift this year. I had a whole bunch of trouble finding time and ideas but I had fun writing this in the end, so I hope you'll enjoy reading it c: The entire thing might seem a bit random since I couldn't figure out where exactly it was going or where I wanted it to go -slapped- Also hope you don't mind that it's a _bit_ long.**  
**

Line breaks indicate passages in time.

Triple x's are for scene changes but it's still the same day. Not too confusing, is it? o:

* * *

This year was going to be different; he was going to make sure of that, even if it meant begging the Harvest Goddess. Instead of giving her shortcake for Thanksgiving like all close friends did, he would give her something she loved, like pumpkin cake, to communicate what he wanted out of their relationship. Instead of showing up at the bridge connecting Garmon Mine District with the area surrounding Molly's farm like they had for the past two years for Starry Night, he would ask her out the day before and they would watch the stars together in Flute Fields. Christmas, he would lay his true feelings bare and hope with all his heart that she returned them. And as for New Years Eve, he would stand by her side, take her hand in his and kiss her.

It was a foolproof plan.

* * *

A sigh left Bo's lips as Doctor Jin stepped away from him, having finished checking the rather large cut on his arm. The bleeding had stopped a while ago, thanks to one of Luke's bandanas, but now it stung like crazy due to the disinfectant that had been applied to it. Irene approached him with a roll of bandages and began to wrap it securely around the wound.

"You were lucky that the cut wasn't as deep as it could've been," Jin informed, pushing his glasses back up onto the bridge of his nose as he consulted his notes. "It should heal on its own in a few weeks but keep the bandages on for at least a few days to make sure it doesn't get infected. Avoid doing any heavy work for now; it would be best to not aggravate the wound."

The young carpenter nodded his head absentmindedly at the doctor's words while trying to suppress the urge to groan. Luke caught his eye and hesitantly smiled, giving him a friendly pat on the back while chuckling nervously.

"Sorry for getting you hurt, but cheer up Bo! At least you didn't break your arm or anything," the older carpenter commented, earning himself an annoyed look from his friend.

Before Bo could say anything in reply, Irene had already finished bandaging his arm and left the pair alone, giving them both a final warning to be careful before she disappeared around the corner to check up on Simon, who had somehow gotten hurt trying to take photos of Molly's chickens skating around the frozen lake to the left of her house. Luke had wanted to know the full story behind the incident but Bo had kept him from poking his nose into where it didn't belong. Now that his arm had been dealt with, he got off the stool he had been sitting on, calling out a thank you and good bye toward Irene and Jin as he headed toward the exit, pulling Luke behind him with his left hand.

"You seem fine now," Luke observed when Bo finally let go of his hand. They turned south and walked down the street in the direction of Molly's house.

"You injured my right arm, Luke, not my left," Bo stated, keeping his eyes focused on the path ahead of them as they trudged through the snow. An endless spiral of white flakes continued to fall from the greying sky above them, slowly piling up even more until there were no signs of the road beneath them. Fortunately the snow was fresh and had yet to freeze over, giving them little trouble when it came to walking. The last thing Bo needed was to slip and injure another body part, or Goddess forbid, break a limb. The wound Luke had accidentally given him was already enough of an obstacle.

"What difference does that make? As long as you can still help Molly then its all good," Luke continued with a grin, walking ahead of the blonde carpenter. "We have to find a suitable tree in Fugue Forest to set up in her living room then we have to put up the Christmas lights on the exterior of her house."

The older male kept on divulging his plans on how to install a festive atmosphere into Molly's farmhouse but Bo's mind drifted elsewhere. Jin had recommended that he didn't do any heavy work for a while meaning carrying a tree was out of the question but that hadn't seemed to have hit Luke yet. That didn't bother Bo much though; as much as he wanted to help Molly out, the farmer was more than capable of decorating her home without his help. All that he was worried about was whether or not his injury would put a dent into his plans.

All he had wanted was to be different this year. He wanted things to change, to evolve, and to become something _else_. It had taken him a rather long time to even think of a plan to make those wants into reality but eventually he had thought of the perfect plan involving the whole of winter. By the time New Years rolled around, he had been certain that things would change, but now he wasn't sure.

He could move his arm without much trouble though sometimes a twinge of pain would flare up out of the blue, making it a hassle but Bo wasn't going to let such a small obstacle get in the way of his goal. This year was going to be different, no matter what.

Thanksgiving was tomorrow and Bo still wasn't ready. His plan for tomorrow had included giving Luna a bouquet of her favourite flowers along with a homemade pumpkin cake. His first problem was the flowers; he knew she liked pink cat, roses, and hyacinths but they all bloomed in seasons other than winter, which was what it was now. Marimba Farm didn't carry out of season flowers, only crops, making Bo anxious about what he could do instead. The cake wasn't as much as a problem as the flowers but now that his arm was injured he wasn't quite sure either. Baking wasn't considered 'hard work', at least not to him but Bo didn't know how to bake a pumpkin cake. It might not differ much from the shortcake he made in previous years but it wasn't like he could mentally adjust the recipe either. No, he needed help and luckily he knew where to find it.

"Hey Bo, hurry up man! Molly's waiting for us at her house. We only have twenty one days left until Christmas, you know?" Luke called out to him. Bo's footsteps had slowed down while he had been thinking and Luke had ended up walking in front of him at a brisk pace until they were now quite a few feet apart from each other.

Bo sighed and shook his head, stopping where he was. "You go on ahead, Luke. I'll come later; there's something I have to do before tomorrow."

The blue haired carpenter looked at him quizzically for a moment before it dawned on him that tomorrow would be Thanksgiving. A grin spread out on his lips and Luke wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at Bo. "You're planning on baking a cake for Luna, aren't you?"

"Yes I am," he replied with a straight face. "I bake her a cake every year; this year won't be an exception."

"Then why can't you do that at home or at Molly's house?"

That comment made Bo falter slightly and he paused, unsure of how to answer that question. Luke was the last person on Castanet Island that he wanted to share his plans with. While Bo trusted the older carpenter, he couldn't trust Luke with secrets.

Bo's lack of an answer seemed to give Luke an idea and the blue haired carpenter simply grinned even more at his friend. "You're going to do something special for her, aren't you? So you're finally making a move, huh?"

He sighed and waved a hand dismissingly toward his friend, already turning around to head to his destination. "I'll see you later, Luke."

xxx

"I'm so sorry Bo!" Maya exclaimed as she handed the blonde male some paper towels. "I didn't see you behind me; I didn't mean to spill it on you!"

He gave her an awkward smile and turned off the freezing tap water. Some of his fingers felt numb from being drowned in the cold water but the majority of his hand still stung from being splashed with boiling hot water. "It's alright Maya; it's not a big deal. Thanks." Bo took the paper towels from her and dried his hands, frowning slightly at the pain from his hand. First Luke had accidentally wounded his arm with his axe and now Maya had spilt hot water on him. To make things worse, it was all on his dominant arm.

"I still feel bad though. You came here asking for help but I ended up only causing you more injuries," the blonde waitress apologized with a frown, looking at the bandaged part of his upper arm.

"It's not a problem Maya," he reassured her though his tone of voice said otherwise. An hour had passed since he arrived at Ocarina Inn and he still had yet to finish making a cake. Maya had made three, or well, attempted to make three but they had either burned in the oven or had tasted terrible enough for her to throw away. Bo had to wonder how she managed to make three cakes in the span of an hour but perhaps her speed was the cause of the downfall of her cakes. He took his time when it came to baking since it was a cake for Luna after all and he wanted it to be just right. He measured all the ingredients carefully, double checking to make sure they were the right amount before dumping them into a mixing bowl. Maya had told him that the only difference between a pumpkin cake and a shortcake was the pumpkins. Shortcakes needed strawberries whereas pumpkin cakes needed pumpkins. That last part had been obvious enough but as it turned out, that was the only thing that differed between the two. Everything else was the same, including the measurements, which was the only thing Bo had needed to know. He had planned to go home to make the cake after finding out the recipe but Maya had insisted that he stay, saying that they could both work on their cakes for tomorrow together and he had obliged. He shouldn't have stayed.

A chuckle caught Bo's attention and he turned around to see Jake and Colleen seated together at one of the tables, their heads leaning against each others' as if they were whispering secrets. Yolanda had been watching them from the corner of the room but gave that up when Maya had spilled the boiling water on Bo's hand. The older female chef clicked her tongue but couldn't help but chuckle again at her granddaughter's blunders. No matter how much she had taught Maya, the blond waitress didn't seem to have improved at all. "Maya, just what are you trying to make?" Yolanda asked, leaning against the counter as she stared at the mess around the stove.

"Uhm, a spinach cake," Maya answered hesitantly, staring guiltily at the ground.

"What are you planning to use the hot water for then?"

"To boil the spinach?"

Yolanda merely shook her head and made her way around the counter so that she too was in the kitchen, occupying much of the space, making it feel even more cramped. Bo instinctively moved out of the way, taking his bowl of wet ingredients with him. Jake gestured to him and after being confused for a brief moment he left the kitchen completely and walked over to the inn owner.

"They're going to take a while in there," Jake stated, nodding toward his mother and daughter. "You can use the kitchen in the backroom if you'd like, Bo."

The offer came as a surprise to him and he quickly shook his head. Staying at Ocarina Inn hadn't been a part of his plan in the first place and he didn't want to intrude any further. Thanksgiving was tomorrow after all and while it looked like both Yolanda and Jake didn't have much of anything to do, Bo was certain that they would be swamped with work soon. Jake only smiled at him with a shake of his own head. "You came here asking for help and ended up helping Maya instead. She even burned your hand when you're already injured. See this as a way of apology. You're free to use anything you need too."

"Thank you Jake, but I-"

"You're trying to bake a pumpkin cake, right? You'll need pumpkins for that and if I remember correctly, Dale said Luke used up all the ones he had for Halloween. Pumpkins are out of season now so he hadn't had time to buy more," Colleen informed him with a gentle smile.

That came as a shock to him. The last time he had checked for pumpkins at home was… before Halloween. Bo had just assumed they would still be there since neither Luke nor Dale liked eating pumpkins. He inwardly sighed but smiled at the two inn owners. "Thank you Jake and Colleen, I'll do that then," he stated, accepting their offer.

"You're supposed to put in baking soda, not baking powder, Maya! There's a difference between the two."

"I'm sorry! I'll get it right next time."

Jake and Colleen exchanged looks and shook their heads with knowing smiles playing on their lips while Bo went over to the counter, picking up the mixing bowl he had been using and crept into the back kitchen, leaving the family alone.

He felt oddly out of place being there since he and Maya weren't even that good of friends in the first place. He knew _of _her since there were only so many villagers on the island but they definitely weren't friends and were barely acquaintances. She had been the only person he thought of approaching for help though; Chase might've been a better option but the peach haired chef looked as if he would be harder to approach than the blonde waitress.

Now that he was alone, Bo focused completely on his cake. The silence that surrounded him in the small kitchen was occasionally broken by Yolanda or Maya but no one bothered him, leaving him completely alone with his work. He fell into a rhythm and it wasn't long before the batter was done and the cake was slowly baking in the oven.

xxx

Carrying the box containing the pumpkin cake carefully in his hands, Bo opened the door to the main room of Ocarina Inn. Yolanda and Maya were still in the kitchen but neither of them were speaking now, focusing solely on whatever they were cooking. Colleen had left too but Jake had moved to check the logbook for the inn. When he caught sight of Bo he merely smiled at him, waving off his thanks.

Just as Bo was about to step out the door though a loud _beep beep beep_ rang through the air. "Maya!" Yolanda shouted and the blonde waitress quickly pulled open the oven door to let out clouds of dark smoke. Bo looked at the scene and quickly left, feeling a blast of cold wintry air hit his face, making him shiver. The coldness contrasted greatly with the warmth that had surrounded him from being in front of the oven and he clutched the box closer to his chest. The cold felt good on his right hand but not for the rest of him and he quickened his pace.

Snow still fell from the sky at a leisurely pace, showing no sign of stopping any time soon. A soft breeze blew past him, making him shiver slightly but he had to appreciate the scenery in front of him. The entirety of Harmonica Town was blanketed by a layer of snow that was steadily building up, making it difficult to identify where the sidewalk started and ended but at least the snow helped to make it look like Christmas would be coming soon. Bo wasn't a huge fan of snow although he didn't mind it either, but nothing made the twenty fifth better than waking up to a white Christmas.

Luna had told him once before that the Christmases she had spent off the island had been terrible. There was no snow, hardly anyone decorated their homes, and it mostly rained, making it feel nothing like Christmas. She had been glad to return to Castanet Island with Shelly and her first Christmas back, she had insisted on decorating their home until every inch of it was covered with Christmas decorations. Luke and he had just happened to be passing by that day and the blue haired carpenter had offered his assistance. Luna had declined, saying she could do everything herself but then had almost fallen off the ladder she had been on, much to her embarrassment, and so ended up accepting Luke's offer. That was the first time Bo had been in Luna's company for an extended period of time and it became a tradition for him to help her decorate the tailor's every year for Christmas.

She seemed to have forgotten how it all started since every year she would assume he would simply show up at her house the day after Thanksgiving to help her out but Bo didn't mind, not if it meant he could spend more time with her. Even he couldn't remember everything they did together over the years and it didn't even matter that much. They had become good friends and somewhere along the line Bo had developed stronger feelings for her. He wasn't sure about her own feelings about the matter but he had decided it was finally time to let her know, hence his plan.

Now that he had the pumpkin cake in his hand, the only other thing he needed were the flowers. He still didn't know where he could get out of season flowers on such short notice but he was willing to try just about anything.

xxx

"I can't help you Bo; its winter and the only flowers I _can_ give you are anemones, snowflake flowers, and green bell flowers. I didn't save any other flowers from my last harvest either," Molly apologized, running a brush through her horse's coat.

Bo's face fell at hearing Molly's response but it hardly came as a surprise for him. She had been his last resort and it was mostly his fault for not thinking this through earlier. If he had been smarter, he would've planned all this out seasons ago, back when the flowers he needed were in season but it was definitely too late for any of that now.

"If you're so desperate for them them, I_ might_ be able to do something," Molly continued, causing Bo to give her his complete attention. "I can't promise you anything and I certainly won't be able to get them to you before tomorrow but I can try for Christmas if you'd like."

Relief flooded him at hearing her offer and he quickly nodded his head, smiling widely toward his friend. "Yes, thank you Molly!"

The brunette farmer laughed and returned his smile with one of her own. "Are you planning on giving them to Luna?" she asked, eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Yes," Bo admittedly, ducking his head shyly as a light blush dusted his cheeks.

"So you're finally going to do something about your feelings now, aren't you?" Molly smiled knowingly and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Good luck with everything."

"Thanks?" It came out more like a question than as a statement but Molly only laughed it off, much to Bo's confusion. The brunette farmer turned back to her horse, brushing the four-legged mammal's coat until it gleamed before she moved onto her other livestock. A few of her chickens ran past her, happily clucking to each other as they pushed past the growing stalks of buckwheat. "Is it a good idea to let your animals out when it's snowing? Won't they get sick?"

"These guys will be fine. They hate being cooped up inside and prefer to be outside, rain or shine. My cows on the other hand are total opposites so that's why they're not out here right now," Molly explained, petting her sheep gently on the head before waving the woolly mammal away. She watched her sheep for a moment before letting her eyes flicker skyward, her face becoming a landing ground for the falling white flakes. "Does it feel like Christmas to you, Bo?"

He looked up at Molly's face and then up at the sky at her sudden question. The sky hadn't gotten any lighter or darker since he had left the clinic that morning and snow was still falling steadily from above. Everything around them was covered in snow, except for a few plots of land that Molly had tilled to grow her crops, making it definitely seem like winter but Christmas was a different story. Many of the villagers already had their houses decorated for the holidays and the majority of the stores had set up their own mini Christmas trees too, but Bo didn't think it felt any more like Christmas. Only when it was dark out and all the lights that decorated the homes were lit did it actually seem like Christmas to him.

Before Bo could even give Molly a reply, a familiar voice broke the silence between them, echoing through the air. "Hey Bo, how's your special cake for Luna?!" Luke shouted from the roof of Molly's farmhouse.

The blonde carpenter winced slightly from the volume of his friend's voice and from what he said. No matter how much he could try to deny it, he would never be able to convince Luke that what he was doing for Luna was nothing out of the ordinary. "Great, it turned out great," Bo replied, raising his voice so that the sound would carry well on the wind. His friend must've heard him since Luke flashed him a smile and a thumbs up in return.

Molly laughed as she watched their exchange. "Be careful, Luke! It'd be terrible if you fell off and hurt yourself."

"Don't worry, Molly! I've got this!" Luke thumped his fist against his chest, emphasizing the end of his sentence and the farmer couldn't help but roll her eyes, though a laugh did escape her lips. "Bo! You should help out too instead of standing down there. There are still a whole bunch of lights to put up!"

He sighed and looked over the rest of the farmhouse. A snowman stood next to the mailbox in front of the door and a string of lights had been placed around the windows and the door, but that was all. "Doctor Jin told me not to do any 'heavy work'," Bo reminded his friend though he walked closer to the house so that neither of them would have to yell to communicate.

"This isn't heavy; it's just a bunch of lights. You can at least untangle them for me," Luke countered, tossing down a bundle of Christmas lights before he could even reply. Since Bo was holding the box containing Luna's cake, he made no attempt to catch the string of lights and instead left them to land in the snow. "C'mon man, you could've caught that."

"You can put the cake in my fridge, Bo," Molly offered, walking up behind him. "I appreciate you helping me with decorating my house. Luke's been a great help so far."

He highly doubted that, considering how much progress it looked like the other carpenter had made but instead of replying, he simply nodded his head and went inside, putting his box inside the fridge. His arm hadn't bothered him when he had been baking and stringing up lights wasn't any more difficult than using an electric mixer so Bo didn't have any reason not to help out. That and Molly was going to try to get the flowers he needed; the least he could do was help her decorate her home. Even though she certainly wouldn't be able to get them before Thanksgiving tomorrow, it was the thought that counted and it would be better than nothing if she got them for him by Christmas. All he wanted was to give them to Luna as a surprise.

The pink haired tailor had told him that no one had ever given her a bouquet of flowers before, or even a single flower. Hamilton used to drop by to give some to Shelly occasionally but that had been it. Bo had heard that it had been tradition to give a cake along with a flower to your loved ones for Thanksgiving but no one on Castanet Island did that anymore, they only exchanged cakes. He wanted to change that this year.

Walking back outside, he found that Molly had joined Luke on the roof while there were now five bundles of tangled up Christmas lights sitting in the snow, all waiting for him. Their voices occasionally drifted down to his ears but Bo could never make out what they were saying though he could hear their laughter with no problems. As he got to work untangling the lights, he couldn't help but feel a bit jealous looking up at Molly and Luke. Bo didn't know what their relationship was (except that Luke had most likely fallen for the farmer) but it seemed pretty obvious that they were closer than just being good friends, or they were just _that_ good of friends.

His friendship with Luna resembled theirs in a way. While they didn't share as many laughs as Molly and Luke, the time he spent with Luna was always relaxing and it made him feel happy. She would normally be the one talking about her day or complaining about things that had gone wrong and he would happily listen to her, commenting here and there but generally listening. Dale always seemed to wonder how he could put up with her for long periods of time and while Luna could be quite blunt, almost rude to an extent, which put off a lot of people, it never bothered Bo much, possibly because he had to have dealt with Luke for most of his life. The blue haired carpenter was outgoing and unafraid to speak his mind, just like Luna, but he was always friendly toward people while she sometimes didn't care about how she came off to others.

Bo knew her bad traits as well as her good traits and he always thought the good outweighed the bad. Regardless, somewhere along the line he started liking her as more than a friend. He didn't know if she felt the same or simply saw him as just a friend but he would never know if he didn't try finding the answer. Bo just hoped their friendship wouldn't be ruined if the answer turned out to be no.

* * *

Passing Sonata Tailoring for the fifth time in the past ten minutes, Bo tried to peek into the shop through the window but like before, he couldn't see anything due to the fogged up glass. The box containing Luna's cake had started looking a bit worn from all the manhandling Bo gave it as he walked through Harmonica Town. Unlike yesterday, the town was a bit more lively today since it _was_ Thanksgiving. Luckily for Bo, none of the townspeople paid him any attention though they did say hi to him occasionally. Renee and Toby had walked past him earlier, exchanging cakes with each other before heading over to the lighthouse while Maya had ran past him, waving a greeting to him, with a rather large box in her hand. He had wanted to ask her how her cake turned out after the mishaps of yesterday but he hadn't gotten a chance before she was out of his sight.

"Why don't you just go inside?" a feminine voice asked him, surprising Bo with its suddenness, drawing him out of his thoughts. Molly stood facing the water, her fishing pole in her hand, but had turned around to talk to him. "Luna's supposed to be working today so I don't think she'll be coming out any time soon."

He knew that. He knew the days Luna worked and she knew the days he worked; it was a constant that hadn't changed over the years but that hadn't kept Bo from hoping she would be outside. Shelly and Candace were sure to be inside too and he would've liked if there weren't any witnesses, not that he was afraid or anything.

Molly grinned at him, placing a hand on her hip as she stared at the blonde carpenter. "Are you scared that she won't like your cake or something?"

"N-no, of course not," Bo answered, his hands fiddling with the cake box again. The farmer only looked at him with a nod of her head and he was about to protest when the door of Sonata Tailoring opened. Instead of Luna appearing, it was her older sister Candace that walked out. The shy tailor smiled at both Bo and Molly, giving them a soft 'good morning' before she walked away in the direction of Flute Fields, clutching a pale orange box close to her body.

"Now's your chance," Molly stated to Bo though her eyes followed the blue haired female, wondering where she was going.

Bo looked at Molly and the door to the tailor shop, inhaling a breath in an attempt to calm his heart but before he could actually take a step, the door opened again. This time, Luna was the one that came out and her eyes sparkled when she saw her friends outside.

"Do you know where Candace went?" Luna asked, brushing off Molly's morning greeting.

"She went that way," Molly answered, pointing toward the road that led back to her farmhouse and Flute Fields. "Did something happen?"

"She was being all secretive about her cake this morning, so I decided to follow her to see who she's giving it to," Luna answered quickly. "Thanks!" And with that, she ran off.

"Luna, wait!" The pink haired tailor didn't seem to hear him and with a wave toward Molly, Bo ran after her, clutching the cake box tightly to his chest, hoping that the cake wouldn't sustain any injuries.

He stopped behind her, breathing heavily as he tried to catch his breath but Luna paid him no heed as she quickly hid herself behind a tree, pulling Bo after her. She shushed him before he could say anything and they both peeked out from behind the tree to see Candace and Chase standing on the beach. The peach haired chef was holding the box that Candace had been carrying earlier and they both were looking at each other with smiles.

"Chase, of all people; she picked Chase?" Luna grumbled to herself as she stared at the two of them. "I guess I should be happy it's not Julius, but still."

"Ah Luna, is something wrong?" Bo hesitantly asked, looking at the pair on the beach and then at his friend. The chef looked like he was enjoying his time speaking to Candace at the moment which had Bo slightly confused. He had thought Chase liked Molly, which was why Luke would always start complaining whenever the peach haired male's name came up but seeing him and Candace together seemed to indicate otherwise.

The pink haired tailor shook her head, causing strands of her hair to scatter in different directions as a gust of winter wind blew past them. "Not really; I just don't see what Candace sees in him. He's sarcastic and rude." Luna paused, as if considering something before continuing, "But as long as he doesn't hurt Candace then I guess I won't interfere for now."

They watched the pair for a while longer until Luna drew back, grabbing Bo's hand again and started walking away, pulling him behind her. They walked at a fairly quick pace and Luna only stopped once they were far enough from the beach so that neither her sister nor Chase would be able to hear or see them and dropped Bo's hand, her cheeks slightly flushed. She looked up at him with a faint smile and rolled her eyes, presumably because of what they had just seen.

Bo stared at her, his mind blanking out momentarily. While he still hadn't caught his breath from the running earlier and the speed walking just then, his breath managed to catch in his throat. He always thought she looked pretty, beautiful even, though he never told her that directly, but with her standing in front of him surrounded by the whiteness of the snow, he found himself speechless, as cliché as it was.

"Bo?" Luna called to him, waving her hand in front of his face to get his attention. When he didn't respond, she frowned and placed her hands on her hips, leaning in closer to peer at his face. "Are you okay? Are you that out of breath that you can't even respond?"

He blinked his eyes and staggered back a bit from the close proximity of her face. His cheeks heated up immensely at her closeness but now that she had gotten a reaction from him, she backed away, titling her head to the side while waiting for a response. "I-I'm fine Luna, sorry," Bo replied, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. She looked at him with disbelief but shrugged, turning to start walking back to Harmonica Town. "Luna, wait!"

This time she halted, turning back around to look at him expectantly.

He walked up to her and extended the box to her with a nervous smile. "Happy Thanksgiving, Luna."

The pink haired tailor stared at his face for a brief moment before taking the box, removing the wrapping to reveal a slightly uneven pumpkin cake. Her eyes flashed with surprise at the unusual cake but a smile quickly bloomed on her lips. "Thank you, Bo!" Besides her sister and grandmother, Bo was the only other person that ever gave her cakes for Thanksgiving and Luna always looked forward to them. Seeing the pumpkin cake instead of the usual shortcake this year had came as a surprise and for a brief moment, she wondered why that was so but she didn't ask. It wasn't necessary and Luna was happy to still receive a cake from him after all these years.

Bo grinned at her reaction. It didn't matter now that Maya had burned his hand or Luke had injured his arm beforehand. Everything seemed worth it just to see her smile, especially more so when it was because of something _he_ did.

Though the cake wasn't as fresh as it had been yesterday, its deliciously goodness wafted up to her nose, making her eager to eat it and for the third time that day, Luna took a hold of Bo's hand, gripping it as tightly as she did the box holding her cake. "I have yours back at home. Let's go back there now and I can give it to you."

He smiled in agreement and once again found himself being dragged by the pink haired tailor but he didn't mind. So much had gone wrong yesterday and even though the lack of flowers had put a slight dent into his plans, the outcome was all that mattered. Luna was smiling and seemed excited to eat her present, and that was all Bo wanted.


	2. Starry Night

Dale stood in front of the door, fully blocking it so that no one would be able to leave the building. He had been standing there for a good five minutes already and both Luke and Bo knew he couldn't keep it up for the whole day. Both of the young carpenters knew of the dangers associated with going outside in the middle of a raging blizzard but those were dangers they both didn't mind braving.

Tomorrow would be the Starry Night Festival, making today the day to ask people out on a date to watch the stars. Doing it tomorrow would be too late for the festival to hold any special meaning. Bo had spent his past two Starry Nights with Luna on the bridge connecting Garmon Mine District with Molly's farmland. It had become a habit after two years; they wouldn't even need to plan ahead of time or to make sure they were going to meet. Whenever Starry Night rolled around, the two of them would be at the bridge at exactly nineteen o'clock to watch the stars together. Sometimes they would close their eyes and make a wish, keeping it a secret from each other as divulging it would make it void while others they would be content with simply stargazing.

This year, like with Thanksgiving, Bo wanted to change things. He remembered Luna's bright smile when she saw the pumpkin cake he had baked her and the happiness that had lighted up in her eyes when he had eaten the shortcake she had baked him with a smile. Bo wasn't sure if Luna thought it meant anything special that he had given her a different cake compared to all the other years but he was certain that Starry Night would make a difference. If it didn't, he still had Christmas and New Years Eve to look forward to. One way or another he would convey his true feelings to her, with or without the need for words.

Dale wouldn't let either of them out though; he didn't trust Luke not to hurt himself and Bo had already been hurt a while back. Though the cut on his arm had healed enough for him to not need to bandage it up anymore, Dale hadn't wanted to take any chances and decided to keep them both inside until the snowstorm subsided. Luke paced back and forth in front of his dad, staring longingly out the window and occasionally glaring at the older carpenter but Dale still wouldn't move.

"_Dad_, it's not that bad, just let me go out!" Luke finally exclaimed, his patience having reached its limit but the dark blue haired male only shook his head, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"No can do, Luke. You know it's dangerous out there," Dale replied gruffly.

"I promised Molly yesterday that I'd help her set up her Christmas tree today," Luke protested, walking up to the widow to peer outside. Pure whiteness filled his vision, obscuring the background of the sky. The only thing visible to him was the never ending falling flakes of snow, speedily descending.

"She'll understand why if you don't show up."

"That's not the point_!_" the blue haired carpenter stressed but Dale still didn't budge from the door, leading to Luke crying out in frustration before stomping away while grumbling under his breath.

Bo watched his friend leave the room from his seat at the kitchen table. While he wanted to get out of the house too, he understood the dangers that accompanied going outside in the midst of a blizzard and Bo wasn't eager to get hurt anymore that winter. He did want to ask Luna out for Starry Night but that could always wait until the snowstorm subsided or decreased in intensity. As long as Dale let him out of the house before midnight hit then that would be good enough for Bo.

The older carpenter watched the retreating back of his son, shaking his head at his antics but didn't say anything in response, only walking away from the door toward his room. "I trust you won't be going outside, Bo?" Dale asked. The blonde carpenter shook his head and the older male smiled at him with a brief laugh before raising his voice so that it would carry further into the house. "Don't even think of sneaking out, Luke."

With that all said and done, Dale retreated into his workshop, closing the door behind him, leaving Bo all alone. The entire house became eerily silent and the only sounds that could be heard were the sounds of the harsh snowfall outside. Flurries impatiently fell downward and the wind swept up the flakes, scattering them in all directions. Howls from the wind could briefly be heard and the only scenery observable beyond the window remained a sea of whiteness.

He turned away from the window, having seen enough of the falling snow, only to see Luke standing behind him with a mischievous grin. The sudden appearance of his friend greatly surprised him and Bo's eyes widened. "Luke, what are you doing?"

"I promised Molly that I'd help her set up her Christmas tree," the blue haired carpenter replied, grabbing his boots by the door. "I'm not going to break it."

"But Dale said…"

"I know what Dad said," Luke interrupted, removing his jacket from the hanger next to the door to put on.

"Then why are you still going? There's a blizzard outside; Molly will understand if you don't show up." Bo was aware that he was merely repeating what Dale had argued earlier but it was true. No one in their right mind would go out in the midst of such weather, regardless of what important tasks they had to do.

"Because," he replied with a simple shrug.

"How is that even an answer?"

"It's just something I have to do."

"If you like her, this isn't exactly the best way to show it," Bo commented just as Luke's hand was about to turn the doorknob.

The older carpenter turned to look at him with a smile, remaining silent for a while before responding. "Hey man, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. I'm not going to wait around for years to show her how I feel about her."

Bo wasn't sure how to reply to that. Was Luke teasing him over his feelings for Luna again or was he being serious? It wasn't as if Bo was deliberately hiding his feelings, he just didn't know how to let them out without harming their friendship. If they couldn't be _more_ than friends then he wanted them to at least _be_ friends but that wouldn't be the case any more if he told Luna how he felt about her and she didn't return those feelings. Bo wouldn't have minded keeping his feelings to himself for another year if it weren't for Gill. While the future mayor of Castanet Island and the pink haired tailor were friends to a certain extent, Gill seemed to have a deeper interest in Luna, or at least that was what it looked like to him, driving him to come to terms with his feelings. He could either risk their friendship and tell her the truth about how he felt about her or sit back and remain her friend, risking the possibility of her getting together with Gill. They were both terrible options but Bo had opted for the former and concocted his winter plans. "Just how exactly do you think this will help?" Bo tried arguing but Luke shrugged his shoulders again with a smile.

"Maybe it won't but I promised her and a promise is a promise," was all Luke said before he pushed open the door. A blast of cold air entered the room, accompanied by a flurry of chilly snowflakes and Bo shivered but before he could react, his friend was gone and the door had closed, leaving him alone once again.

A sigh left his lips as he once again stood in front of the window, staring outside. Perhaps Luke was right in a way. Changing what kind of cake he gave Luna for Thanksgiving didn't mean much, even if it was her favourite. The saying 'actions speak louder than words' hadn't helped him in that situation either and Bo wasn't quite sure how he should proceed. It might be best to just tell her how he felt but…

_I like you_ were three simple words that carried a multitude of meanings.

_I really like you_ didn't make it any better.

_I love you_ could be taken as him talking about their friendship, much like how he could say he loved Dale and Luke. They were like family to him and Luna might take those three words to be about the already existing bond between them.

_I've fallen in love with you_ was his best bet, but he didn't think those words would leave his lips with ease. Did he feel that strongly about her? It could be a fleeting emotion that coursed through his veins, something most young adults feel as they grow and mature.

Bo shook his head; this was all becoming too complicated and the more he thought about it, the more nervous and anxious he became. Starry Night was tomorrow. All he had to do was take one step at a time. First though, he had to ask Luna out.

xxx

"Once I get my hands on that boy…" Dale grumbled to himself as he walked past Bo, pushing the door of their home open. The blizzard had stopped about half an hour ago and people had started venturing outside again. Dale had found out that Luke had left before the snowstorm had ended and had mumbled incoherent threats under his breath until the snow stopped. The older carpenter carried his axe over his shoulder and walked out the door, gruffly frowning to himself.

Bo watched him leave before putting on his own winter coat and boots. Since the snow had stopped, now was the perfect time for him to find Luna and to ask her to meet him tomorrow for Starry Night but he was also worried about Luke. Harmonica Town was on one side of Garmon Mine District while Molly's farmhouse was on the other, meaning Bo would have to take a detour either way. Without coming to a decision, he started walking, his boots crunching through the freshly fallen snow, leaving a new trail of footprints behind him.

His feet took him toward the rickety bridge connecting Garmon Mine District with the other side of the island. This was where he always met Luna for Starry Night for the previous two years. It hadn't even been planned the first time; they had both been there and Bo had asked if she wanted to spend the night with him instead of being alone while everyone else celebrated the festival with someone else. She had said yes. The year after that, last year to be precise, he had been too preoccupied with a new building project and had forgotten about the festival until the night of. Luke and him had been working on expanding Molly's farmhouse when night had fallen around them and the blue haired carpenter had not so subtly hinted that Bo should leave them alone before the festival started. He had taken the hint and left, walking toward the bridge to get back home when he had spotted Luna there on the other side of the bridge. She had seen him approaching and met him halfway, both stopping in the middle of the rickety bridge. Without saying much of anything, they had sat down next to each other to watch the stars together for the second year in a row.

_This year is going to be different_, Bo thought to himself as he crossed the bridge, picking up his pace and before long, he was standing in front of Molly's home. Sounds could be heard from inside, consisting mostly of muffled voices, making it hard for him to figure out just who they belonged to. Instead of waiting around to figure it out, he simply knocked on the door. The door swung open and Molly appeared, her eyebrows rising in surprise at seeing Bo but she smiled at him nonetheless.

"Hello Bo," Molly greeted him, "Is there something I can help you with? I haven't gotten those flowers you wanted yet if you're here to ask about those."

"_Just hear those sleigh bells jingling ring ting tingling too, c'mon it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you._"

Luke's voice drifted out of the farmhouse, reaching both Molly and Bo's ears, momentarily stunning the blonde carpenter while the farmer merely laughed, a wide grin on her face. "We got bored while decorating the tree so we started singing Christmas songs," Molly explained, amusement sparkling in her eyes. "His singing isn't _that_ bad, Bo. My cousin is worse."

He blinked his eyes, unsure of how he should even react in the first place and tentatively peeked into the farmhouse. In front of the door was a short hallway that led directly to Molly's living room which was where Luke was, stringing up Christmas lights around the tree that stood in the middle of the room. A large star was perched at the top of the tree while a bunch of other ornaments were placed haphazardly below it. Instead of hanging off the tree, some of the ornaments were hanging from the light wires, swinging back and forth every time Luke moved or pulled at the cord. Seeing his friend without any visible injuries and seemingly having a lot of fun made Bo feel slightly better and he moved away from the door. "I just wanted to check up on Luke," he replied, giving the farmer a soft smile.

Molly returned his smile as she leaned against the doorframe. "I was surprised when he showed up in the middle of the snowstorm but it was a nice surprise," she started, "I'm glad that he's here though; I was planning to go look for him when the blizzard stopped. Tomorrow is Starry Night after all." Her cheeks reddened slightly at that statement but she merely grinned at Bo, looking at him expectantly.

He knew where she was going with those statements and sighed, which only led to her giggling. "That's what I'm doing next," Bo informed her. "Thank you for trying to get the flowers, Molly."

"It's not a problem; I'm hoping that I'll be able to get them before Christmas though. Vaughn said that his wife was working hard on trying to harvest some but they're taking a while to gather since they all grow in different season."

"Oh! I'm sorry for giving you all so much trouble!"

Molly laughed again, waving off his apology. "Like I said, it's not a problem. Once my told my cousin-in-law why you wanted them, she was more than happy to try to grow them for you."

"…You told your cousin-in-law about Luna and me?"

"Yeah, of course. Too bad her and Vaughn are too busy with their family this year to visit. She would have _a lot_ of advice to give you."

Bo paled slightly at hearing that and Molly's grin widened at his reaction. "Ah, tell her thank you for me."

"Will do."

"_We're riding in a wonderland of snow. Giddy up, giddy up, giddy up, it's grand, just holding your hand. We're gliding along with the song of a wintry fairy land~"_

"Uhm, I think I'm going to go find Luna. Thanks again for helping me with the flowers Molly, and," Bo paused and looked at Luke with raised eyebrows. Now that the lights had been arranged around the Christmas tree, the blue haired carpenter was putting up stickers of Santa Claus riding his reindeer onto the nearby walls while still singing incredibly off key. "I hope the two of you have fun tonight."

"We will," Molly replied with another laugh, waving good bye to him before closing the door. Her voice joined Luke's in the singing, mixing together to create some strange harmony that actually didn't sound that bad.

He left them alone and started walking toward Harmonica Town

xxx

Luna was talking to Gill outside Meringue Clinic.

Bo hadn't been able to find her outside or in Sonata Tailoring and Candace had directed him up the street, saying her sister had left the store a few minutes earlier with Gill in tow. He had easily found the two of them standing quite close to one another, talking in soft voices, making it hard for him to hear, not that he wanted to know what they were talking about. He knew eavesdropping was wrong but that didn't stop curiosity from gnawing at him.

He took a tentative step forward but the snow covered ground made it hard for him to be silent and the crunch of the snow giving way beneath his boots alerted the pair to his presence. Luna's head snapped up in his direction and catching his gaze, mumbled something lowly to Gill who shook his head in response. The future mayor of Castanet Island nodded his head at Bo as a greeting before leaving the pair alone, walking down the street toward his home.

Luna's eyes followed Gill's retreating back for a moment before she turned fully to look quizzically at Bo. "Is there something on my face?"

He blinked and immediately looked away, not noticing the smile playing on her lips. "N-no, of course not!"

She rolled her eyes at his response but smiled at him nonetheless. They stood there, facing each other for a few moments, breathing in the icy winter air and letting it back out as puffs of condensation. "Hey Bo, you know what tomorrow is, right?" Luna began, her voice sounding softer than usual.

He nodded a yes to her. "The Starry Night Festival."

Luna met his answer by looking up at him expectantly, hands resting on her hips and her head tilted slightly to the side. Bo stared back at her. Was she hinting him to say what he had wanted to say in the first place? When he didn't say anything to her, Luna rolled her eyes with a light smile.

"Would you like to spend it with me?"

"Let's spend it together."

Again, they stared at each other before they both ended up laughing at the timing of their replies. A light blush appeared on Bo's cheeks and he blinked his eyes at her sudden request. He hadn't thought that _she'd_ be the one to ask him and while the rational part of him told not to jump to any conclusions, he couldn't stop the increasing pace of his heartbeats. Luna could've meant that in a friendly way but he wanted to believe there was a deeper meaning to that. Neither of them had ever asked the other out, not for the past two Starry Nights, not for the past Flower Festivals, not for the past Firefly Festivals, nor for the past Moon Viewings.

Bo didn't know if it was a coincidence or due to chance that they always met up without prior arrangement. The first time had definitely been both. The second time, not so much. The majority of the festivals they attended together were ones intended for couples, though that never stopped other friends from spending them together, which was what they always did. It was better than being alone after all. They would always meet up right before the start of the festival at the appropriate place and when it was over, Bo would walk Luna home. It was that simple.

They had spent all the other 'romantic' festivals together earlier that year and with each passing one, Bo had told himself that he would reveal his true feelings to her but he never did so, chickening out at the last moment until now. Seeing Gill with Luna earlier had set off his worries and seeing them whisper to one another hadn't made it any better. Again, it came to down to confessing to her in hopes of her returning his feelings or keeping silent and having Gill and her get together.

"Eighteen o'clock at Flute Fields," Luna stated.

"…Flute Fields?" he couldn't help but echo.

"Of course; did you want to spend it on the bridge again?"

"That's not what I meant," Bo mumbled, looking down at the snowy ground as his cheeks became flushed again. "Sure Luna, I'll meet you there at that time."

She smiled up at him, eyes sparkling and shook her head. "No; come to my house. I want you to walk me there."

"O-okay…" he managed to get out.

"Great, I'll see you tomorrow," Luna replied with a grin before turning around to walk away, passing Ocarina Inn, leaving Bo to stare at her retreating figure.

* * *

The night was clear without a single cloud in sight, being the perfect backdrop for the Starry Night festival. Snow had fallen that morning until the clock had hit thirteen o'clock, providing a fresh dusting of fluffy ice crystals on everything on the island. Bo's boots made soft crunching sounds as he walked down the street toward Sonata Tailoring, reminding him of Thanksgiving day. The air was quiet all around him though many of the houses had their lights lit, indicating that someone was home. Occasionally a few voices would reach his ears as he walked along the street, providing him with a brief glimpse into what other people were doing for the festival.

Choral Clinic and the Wizard's house were silent and bathed in darkness, the only light being the light coming from the lamp posts stationed nearby. Hamilton's voice could be heard quite loudly from the mayor's own home though Bo couldn't make out any words in particular. Brass Bar sounded rowdy, if the music and voices that drifted out of the establishment were any sort of indication. Sonata Tailoring, being right next to the bar, was almost the complete opposite. If it weren't for the lights being on, Bo would've thought that no one was home.

He stood in front of the door and tried peering into the window but was unable to actually see anything due to the fogged up glass, much like on Thanksgiving. Instead of pressing his face against the window, Bo moved toward the door, knocking on it. Muffled voices could be heard through the door along with a few annoyed comebacks that definitely belonged to Luna before the door swung open to reveal Shelly. The older female beckoned him in with a smile and Bo stepped inside, letting her close the door behind him.

"I don't trust you, at all," Luna stated flatly, her voice drifting through the air to reach the carpenter's ears. "I don't get what Candace even sees in you."

"Good thing I'm going out with her and not you," another voice retorted.

Shelly smiled wryly at Bo, shaking her head as she walked toward the living room with him right behind her. "They've been at this for a while now," she informed him, amusement slightly lacing her tone.

"L-Luna, please stop," Candace asked of her sister, taking a step forward.

That didn't deter the pink haired tailor though and her eyes merely narrowed as she glared up at Chase. "I'm not going to stop until he answers my questions. Exactly what do you see in my sister? What are your intentions toward her?"

The peach haired chef looked at her and rolled his eyes. "I have no obligation to answer your questions," he replied, his tone of voice oozing out volumes of annoyance. "What do _you_ think I want from her?"

"If I knew I wouldn't be asking you, now would I?"

Candace looked at the two of them, unsure of how to diffuse the situation when Shelly clapped her hands a few times to get the arguing pair's attention. "Now now, Luna, tonight is Starry Night. If you want to argue, please find a better time for it. Bo's here for you and the festival will be starting soon."

Bo could feel all pairs of eyes on him as Shelly mention his name and both the tailors smiled at him while Chase only looked at him with disinterest.

"Let's go, Bo," Luna stated, sauntering over toward Bo and grabbing his hand, pulling him toward the door. "If you do anything to hurt Candace, you _will_ pay." She glowered at Chase over her shoulder for one last time before walking outside, closing the door behind her with a _bam_, missing the chef rolling his eyes in response.

She walked at a brisk pace toward Flute Fields with Bo behind her, her hand still holding onto his. She didn't say anything and he wasn't sure just how to start a conversation. Bo had thought Luna was fine with Candace's relationship with Chase, what with having seen the two of them exchanging gifts privately on the beach for Thanksgiving but it seemed that he had been wrong. The snow made soft crunching sounds beneath their boots as they walked along the path, hand in hand. Luna remained focused on the distance, her eyes looking straight ahead while Bo's gaze flickered from place to place, though it mostly remained on the back of Luna's head.

xxx

"I just don't understand what she sees in him," Luna reiterated to Bo, resting her head on his shoulder as they gazed up at the cloudless sky. Stars had begun making themselves clear a few minutes ago but the sky was still far from being covered by stars. "Like sure, I'm glad she's not dating Julius but I just don't get it!"

He wasn't sure how to respond and instead focused on the stars above. A layer of snow covered the grass beneath them and coldness continued to grab at his legs but the low temperature didn't bother either of them that much. Further down the hill, Bo could see Luke and Molly sitting together, most likely laughing or talking about one thing or another and he became distracted by them for a short moment.

Whenever Bo saw them, they were always laughing or enjoying each other's company. Chase and Candace looked as if they the same applied to them, minus the laughing part, and Bo was certain that it also applied to Luna and him. Couples didn't always make sense in how they ended up together but all that mattered was the feelings between them. "I don't think it's up to us to judge," he answered slowly, keeping his eyes focused on the stars as more and more of them began to shine against the darkness. "It's their relationship and they both must have liked each other in the first place for them to end up together."

Luna blinked her eyes, staring at the side of his face, a frown emerging on her lips as she absorbed in his reply. "They just don't seem right together," she finally declared, letting her own eyes look skyward.

"People say 'opposites attract'," he reminded her, "But they also say 'birds of a feather flock together'; only the Harvest Goddess and they know what they see in each other. Maybe if you get to know Chase you'll learn to like him more?"

"I highly doubt that," Luna retorted though her voice had taken on a softer tone. "Let's not talk about them anymore. They can have their night together and we can have ours, but tomorrow I _will_ get an answer out of him."

"_We can have ours."_ Bo's cheeks warmed slightly at those particular words, contrasting nicely against the cold. While it was nothing new to have Luna resting her head on his shoulder as they watched the stars, he couldn't help but feel a rush of nerves at having her so close to him. He knew he shouldn't overreact either, that it was always possible that her words held no particular special meaning but he couldn't stop his mind from coming up with different possibilities.

"Bo, look!" Luna exclaimed, pointing up toward the sky. He snapped out of his thoughts in time to see a shooting star, dashing across the sky like a reindeer running to catch up with Santa's sleigh. "Make a wish!"

His eyes fluttered shut. _I wish that I will have the courage to tell Luna how I truly feel_.

"What did you wish for?" she asked him, looking up at him expectantly, a teasing glint in her eyes as he opened his own eyes after the shooting star had passed.

"The same thing I always wish for." It wasn't technically a lie; they never told each other what they truly wished for, believing that if they did the wish won't come true and instead told each other in general terms what their wish was. "What about you, Luna?"

"I did the same," she answered with a grin.

xxx

Clouds rolled slowly across the sky, starting to hide the stars behind them, and Luna stood up, shaking herself to warm up her legs again. Bo followed suit and did the same.

"Thanks for spending tonight with me," Luna stated, smiling happily at him.

Bo only smiled back. Now was as good as any other time to tell her. The festival was ending now that clouds were starting to appear and it had grown quite late too, leading to the temperature dropping even further. While the majority of the stars were still visible, Bo looked Luna directly in the eye and opened his mouth. "Luna, I-…"

He was interrupted. "Gill! Wait for me!" Luna called out after spotting the future mayor on the path leading back to Harmonica Town. "I'm sorry Bo, but there's something I have to talk to Gill about. Thank you for tonight though." Before he could even reply, she ran off, sending up clumps of snow behind her, leaving the blonde carpenter to stare after her, disappointment and anxiety running rampant in his veins.

Perhaps he should give up on the third part of his plan.


	3. Christmas

He watched her talking to the mayor's son from across the room in the corner, hands firmly implanted in his pockets as he leaned against the wall. Laughter and voices filled the air around him, creating a festive and merry mood but all Bo could do was focus his attention on the pink haired tailor. Luna and Gill had been talking together for quite some time now, as if they were lost in their own world over in the other corner of the living room and Bo didn't think it would be right for him to interrupt them.

Ever since the Starry Night festival two weeks ago, Luna and him had barely talked to one another. He hadn't known what to make of what had happened as the festival ended and he hadn't wanted to think much about it either. He didn't have any business in Harmonica Town and spent most of his time either at home or with Luke at Molly's house, limiting his chances to see Luna. The tailor hadn't sought him out either, making his worries clutter his mind until he couldn't think about anything besides her and the possible relationship that existed between her and Gill.

Today was the first time he was able to see her ever since the night of the festival and seeing her and Gill together certainly didn't help the anxiety that coursed through his veins. A tap on his shoulder broke through his train of thought, making him take his eyes off of Luna and Gill. He turned in the direction that the tap came from to see Molly standing next to him, her head tilted slightly to the side and her hands behind her back. Her lips were pressed together into a line and her eyebrows were raised in confusion as she looked at him and then at Luna. "Hello Bo, you don't seem to be having any fun," the farmer stated.

"Merry Christmas, Molly," Bo replied with a light smile. "No, that's not it, this is a great party and your home looks great too. It's just that…" He trailed off with a soft sigh, unsure of how to even vocalize his thoughts and feelings.

"Don't worry about it Bo," she reassured him, putting an arm around his shoulders and steering him toward the kitchen. Maya and Perry were standing in the room chatting next to the mixer, a whole bunch of fruits and vegetables on the table but Molly shooed them out, unplugging the mixer to let them take it with them out into the living room where the party was. The entire while, Molly kept one hand behind her back, always out of Bo's sight until they were fully alone in the room. "Here, I finally got these yesterday. Vaughn managed to catch the boat here to deliver them. They might be able to help you today."

A bouquet of roses and hyacinths appeared before him, all arranged neatly with three stems of pink cat in the middle. The red and yellow flowers were mixed in with one another, creating a nice mixture of colours while the purple pink cat flowers remained together in the center. Bo didn't know much about flower arrangements but he had to admit the bouquet looked better than what he had in mind in the first place. "Thank you, Molly," he stated softly as he took the flowers from her.

The farmer grinned at him and patted him on the shoulder. "It's mostly thanks to Chelsea, my cousin-in-law, but you're welcome too. It's Christmas, I'd like to help as much as I can. You're one of my good friends, Bo, and Luna and you are so close that you might as well be a couple," she replied with a cheeky grin. "You can keep the flowers in here for now if you'd like."

With her job done, Molly gave Bo one last smile before walking out of the kitchen, back toward the heart of the Christmas party. Normally, the annual Christmas party would've been hosted at the Brass Bar where Chase and Kathy would be in charge of the food and drinks with Hayden helping at times but this year, Hamilton had decided the 'older villagers' should be able to have fun on Christmas too and had created his own version of a Christmas party there. Molly had volunteered to host _their_ Christmas party at her home which was why Luke had went all out helping her decorate.

The bouquet of flowers rested in his hands and Bo stared down at it. The flowers were still fresh and their petals were soft to the touch. At least now he finally had the flowers he wanted, but what exactly could he do with them now? Of course, he could always just give them to her and they'd be special enough since they were all out of season flowers but it just didn't seem right. Bo had gotten her a necklace made out of Sakura seashells too which sat in a small box in his pocket. He was definitely going to give it to her but…

The plans he had come up with never resulted in what he had expected. He had gotten hurt twice the day before Thanksgiving and on the day of the festival, he hadn't even been able to say anything to her besides presenting her with the cake. That hadn't been absolutely terrible though since Luna had looked quite happy at the sight of the pumpkin cake he had baked her. Starry Night though was a different story. Everything had seemingly gone smoothly until the end, when she had run off after Gill, leaving him alone. He hadn't even asked her out properly to the festival in the first place. Bo didn't even know if he should try to say anything to her anymore. It certainly seemed like the Harvest Goddess didn't want their relationship to move beyond that of friends.

"_Dashing through the snow, in a one horse open sleight. Through the fields we go, laughing all the way. Bells on bob-tail ring, making spirits bright. What fun it is to ride and sing a sleighing song tonight. Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way. Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh._"

His thoughts were pushed out of his mind by the sound of Luke's singing echoing through the room outside and Bo left the kitchen, holding onto the bouquet of flowers still. Calvin was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room where Bo had been earlier, strumming his guitar as Luke tried singing along. Molly had joined them along with Maya and Kathy, all calling out the lyrics. Toby and Renee stood next to the Christmas tree, murmuring to one another while Chase and Candace were seated together on some of Molly's many sofas along the wall. Luna was nowhere in sight but Gill was with Perry over by the hallway entrance, talking with one another.

Gill caught Bo looking at him and excused himself, walking over to the blonde carpenter. Bo only stared at the future mayor in surprise, not having expected Gill to approach him. "Have you seen Luna?" Bo asked timidly.

"She went outside," the future mayor replied in a monotone. "If you're going to see her, you might want to take these first." He presented Bo with a box, which he took after he shifted the flowers over to rest on his arm.

"Thank you…?" The box was wrapped up with Christmas wrapping paper and had ribbon tied around it, ending up in a bow on top of the box. "What is it?"

"It's from Luna; I'm only the messenger," Gill answered, already turning around to walk back to where Perry was to continue his conversation. "She wanted to surprise you."

xxx

"Luna?" Bo tentatively called out, closing the door to Molly's home behind him. Snow gently fell down from the grey sky, landing softly in his hair and on the flowers. He walked forward a few steps, clutching the box Gill had handed him and the bouquet of flowers tightly in case he slipped and dropped them. The seashell necklace he had bought for Luna was resting in another box in his pocket where it should be safe if he did end up slipping while walking.

The pink haired tailor was standing on the main road, staring at the lake but she turned when she heard his voice. Her eyes lit up as seeing the flowers in his arms and she quickly covered the distance between them. "I see you got your present," she stated, gesturing to the box he was holding. "What's with the flowers?"

He didn't know how to respond. There was a lot on his mind that he wanted to say and a lot of questions he wanted to ask but Bo couldn't get the right words to leave his mouth. Instead, he nodded in reply to her first question and held out the bouquet of flowers to answer her second. "These are for you. I wanted to give them to you for Thanksgiving but I didn't get them until today."

Luna's eyes widened as she took the flowers into her hands, hovering her face over the petals as she inhaled their scent. A grin bloomed on her lips as she looked up at Bo, her eyes shining. "They're beautiful, thank you, Bo." The pink cat flowers, along with the roses and hyacinths made for a lovely bouquet and she couldn't help but stare at them. She was surprised that he had managed to even get such flowers in winter but Luna didn't question him. "Do you like your gift?"

"I actually haven't looked at it yet," Bo confessed, his eyes looking down sheepishly at the snow.

"Open it now then," she urged him.

Gently, he undid the ribbon, stuffing it into his pocket before peeling back the wrapping paper to reveal a medium sized box. Taking off the lid, he was met with an assortment of mushrooms.

"I didn't know what to get you for Christmas so I asked Gill for some help," Luna explained, looking at the box and then at him. "Some of these mushrooms can only be found on Mushroom Island in the Sunshine Archipelagos; I got him to import then for me. You should come over some day and I'll make you dinner with them."

"Thank you, Luna" Bo replied, slightly stunned. "That sounds great." He felt foolish for feeling anxious and worried during the past few days if that was the sole reason she had spent so much time with Gill.

"You don't sound all that happy," she stated, leaning in closer toward him to peer at his face.

"T-that's not it," Bo mumbled, his cheeks flushing red from having her so close to him. "I just thought that… You and Gill…"

"What about Gill and me?"

The blush on his cheeks only turned redder and he stuffed his free hand into his pocket, fiddling with the gift box. "I thought that…you two were together."

She arched an eyebrow at him. "Like a couple?" Bo nodded and she ended up laughing at that. "Why would you think that?"

"You two were usually whispering to each other," he started in a low mumble, "And after the Starry Night Festival ended…"

"Those are some pretty terrible reasons," Luna stated with a shake of her head though that didn't stop her from smiling up at him. "I just wanted to check with him that he got the mushrooms. Besides, if we were a couple, I wouldn't have spent Starry Night with you, now would I?"

She definitely had a point there and Bo looked down at the snowy ground in embarrassment. Luna laughed again, the sound ringing around them. Sounds and voices occasionally drifted over toward them from the farmhouse, indicating that the party was still in full swing. "Do you want to go back inside?" he asked her, trying to change the subject.

Luna nodded and took his head in hers, walking ahead of him toward Molly's home. They had almost reached the door when Bo stopped abruptly, breaking Luna's hold on his hand. She turned around to look at him, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and he smiled sheepishly at her. "The flowers weren't what I had planned to give you for Christmas," he began, reaching his free hand into his pocket and withdrawing the necklace box. "This is for you too."

She blinked her eyes and took the box, moving the flowers to rest more on the upper part of her arm so she could use her other hand to open the present. He had kept it simple by putting her present in a simple box and topping it off with the lid. It wasn't wrapped or anything either. Luna took off the lid and peered inside to see the pink Sakura seashell resting on the bottom of the box with a thin silver chain looped through the top of the seashell. "Wow," she exhaled, surprise lighting up her face. "This is beautiful; thank you, Bo! I've always wanted a necklace like this. C-can you help me put it on?"

He took the necklace from her with a nod and walked behind her, shoving the box of mushrooms into his pocket to free up his hands. Putting the necklace around her, he fumbled with the clasp at the back, his hand accidentally brushing her skin. His cheeks turned an even darker shade of red but he was glad that she couldn't see him then. The clasp fell into place and he stepped away from her while she turned to face him, the necklace resting at the base of her neck. Luna stared down at the Sakura seashell, tracing it with a finger as she smiled.

"_All I want for this Christmas is to be with you, hold you close, you are one in a million. You're my only snowflake."_

The entire house was silent except for the voice singing. Bo and Luna both looked toward the farmhouse and silently opened the door, sneaking inside and walking toward the living room. Everyone had gathered there in a semicircle, with Toby and Renee in the center. Calvin was playing the last few notes of the song on his guitar while the fisherman held out a blue feather for his girlfriend. Everyone was quiet, waiting for Renee's response.

"Yes!"

Everyone applauded the couple, with Luke and Owen letting out wolf whistles as the newly engaged couple hugged. A few 'congratulations' filled the air and Luna yelled her own congrats toward the couple. Bo followed her example and did the same, though his voice wasn't as loud as hers. Luna laughed at that and pulled him aside.

"Hey Bo," she started, looking at him with sparkling eyes.

"Yes, Luna?"

"Merry Christmas." She stood up onto her toes and pressed her lips to his cheek. "And thank you for everything this season."

* * *

"Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven! Six! Five! Four!"

Midnight was almost there, signalling the end of this year and the start of a new one. The majority of the villagers had gathered in Harmonica Town to countdown. Chase and Candace stood directly outside Sonata Tailoring with Luke and Molly a ways from them. Bo stood next to Luna who had her eyes focused on the dark sky, waiting for the fireworks.

"Three!"

Winter hadn't gone as he had planned, not in the slightest, but Bo hadn't minded. He looked over at Luna and took her hand in his, making her look at him. She smiled at him briefly before looking back up at the sky but she didn't move her hand.

"Two!"

He had an idea about how she felt toward him and that was good enough for him. What had happened during Christmas spoke for itself. Even though he never did manage to voice how he felt toward her, Bo was certain she knew.

"One!"

"Happy New Years!"

Bo tugged on Luna's hand, making her look at him as fireworks were launched and exploded in the sky. Quickly, he pressed his lips against hers. She didn't pull away and instead she kissed him back.

"Happy New Year." They smiled at each other knowingly and Luna rested her head on his shoulder as they watched the fireworks.

It had been a good year.

* * *

A/N: That was an abrupt ending, I know but I couldn't figure out how to end it without blabbing on for another thousand words. So yep, there you have it, your gift this year! I hope you enjoyed reading it and that it wasn't too terrible. Writing Christmas themed things sort of isn't my forte x: The italic'ed song lyrics used were from _Sleigh Ride, Jingle Bells, _and _Snowflake_ (by Jason Chen). I have no idea who the other songs are sung by...

Anyways! Thanks, everyone, for reading. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and happy holidays c: May the new year be full of happiness for you all.

Happy Leafing~


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